Rhyperior Movesets & Competitive Sets

Stone Edge and Earthquake are Rhyperior's best STAB moves with consistent power, threatening common Pokemon like Crobat, Salamence, and Cobalion. Toxic cripples switch-ins like Tangrowth, Slowking, and Hippowdon. Heat Crash is an option to keep Amoonguss, Scizor, and Skarmory from switching into it, 2HKOing all of them. Swords Dance lets Rhyperior set up on Pokemon that it can wall like Rotom-H to muscle past slower foes such as Amoonguss and Celesteela. Rhyperior runs maximum Special Defense investment to take advantage of its typing, being able to switch into moves such as Rotom-H's Overheat and Salamence's Hurricane more comfortably. Rhyperior tends to fit on bulky offense teams with its amount of resistances in combination with its offensive presence. Rhyperior appreciates entry hazard removal from Tentacruel and Rotom-W to keep it from getting worn down by Spikes. In return, Rhyperior can switch into Rotom-H and check Thundurus-T. Electric-types like Thundurus-T beat opposing Water-types that could break through Rhyperior with ease such as Azumarill and Primarina. Thundurus-T appreciates entry hazard support wearing down checks like Tapu Bulu in return. Bulky Grass-types like Tangrowth and Amoonguss can help against those Water-types in addition to Keldeo and Rotom-W. Both Tangrowth and Amoonguss benefit from Rhyperior countering Rotom-H and Moltres. Steel-types such as Jirachi and Scizor appreciate Rhyperior's Fire resistance and ability to check Moltres and Rotom-H too, and, in return, they can check Tapu Bulu. Jirachi can also provide Wish support for Rhyperior so it can be played more aggressively early-game. Tapu Bulu itself also can provide Grassy Terrain support and check Water-types like Azumarill for Rhyperior.

Set Description Thanks to its high Attack stat and access to strong physical moves, Rhyperior is an excellent Choice Band user. Earthquake OHKOes foes like non-Air Balloon Metagross, Tapu Koko, and Haxorus. Rock Wrecker OHKOes Pokemon like Togekiss, Azumarill, and Sitrus Berry Primarina while also giving Rhyperior solid odds against Occa Berry and Mental Herb Celesteela. Rock Blast allows Rhyperior to defeat Crustle, stall out Zapdos and Entei, and beat Volcarona running Substitute or Endure. In the final moveslot, Ice Punch secures the Garchomp and Landorus-T matchup, Fire Punch defeats Ferrothorn, and Counter helps against threats like Air Balloon Metagross. EVs The Defense EVs allow Rhyperior to survive an Earthquake from Choice Band Landorus-T, so it can KO back with either Rock Wrecker or Ice Punch. 164 Speed EVs are enough for Rhyperior to outpace the likes of Sylveon and Sitrus Berry Primarina. The rest of the EVs are put in Attack to give Rhyperior the best possible chances against Celesteela. Usage Tips Choice Band Rhyperior should opt for the most damaging move. Versus stall Pokemon running Substitute like Entei and Zapdos, Rock Blast is preferred over Rock Wrecker to break through Substitute and avoid PP reduction. Against Volcarona, Rock Blast is the optimal move, since there are Volcarona variants running Substitute. Against Pokemon that use Endure, such as Zen Mode Galarian Darmanitan, Galarian Moltres, and Custap Berry Volcarona, it's best to use Rock Blast over Rock Wrecker to avoid giving them an extra turn during the recharge phase, which could cost Rhyperior the matchup. Counter should be used against Pokemon that are not threatened by Rhyperior's STAB moves, such as Air Balloon Metagross.

Set Description This Rhyperior set defeats faster threats like Galarian Darmanitan, Choice Specs Naganadel, and Choice Specs Porygon-Z with the combination of Endure + Custap Berry. Rock Wrecker OHKOes Pokemon like Togekiss, Choice Specs Zapdos, and Galarian Darmanitan. Earthquake allows Rhyperior to defeat Steel-types like non-Air Balloon Metagross as well as Pokemon like Zeraora and Naganadel. Swords Dance enables Rhyperior to KO bulky Pokemon like Celesteela after a boost. Alternatively, Rock Blast is useful against Volcarona running Substitute, Counter Crustle, stall Entei, and stall Zapdos. EVs The 16 Defense IVs ensure that Rhyperior is always brought into Custap Berry activation range by an Icicle Crash from Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan, while the 25 Special Defense IVs serve the same purpose against Uproar from Choice Specs Porygon-Z. The EVs are invested only in Attack and Speed; there is no point in investing into bulk because Rhyperior needs to take a minimum amount of damage from the moves already mentioned above. Usage Tips Against Galarian Darmanitan, use Endure on the first turn to avoid being OHKOed by the Choice Band set and to activate Custap Berry. This also applies to the Choice Scarf set, as Icicle Crash still puts Rhyperior into Custap Berry range. Against Volcanion, use Endure against Steam Eruption because it gives Rhyperior the best odds if it doesn't get burned. The same strategy works against Choice Specs Sylveon, Choice Specs Kyurem, and Choice Specs Porygon-Z using Hyper Beam or Uproar, since both moves from the latter leave Rhyperior within Custap Berry's activation range. Against Entei and Crustle, use Rock Blast over Rock Wrecker to defeat them, as Entei can PP stall Rhyperior with Pressure, and Crustle runs Counter. Another Pokemon that runs Counter is Chansey, so using Swords Dance until Rock Wrecker can KO it is the optimal play. Swords Dance's boost is also useful against Leech Seed Celesteela variants, as using it on the first turn followed by Rock Wrecker on the second gives Rhyperior the win.

Set Description Rhyperior is able to reliably beat any Magnezone variant by leveraging its good Assault Vest-boosted special bulk and access to Bulldoze. In addition, it can reliably defeat strong special attackers like Choice Specs Sylveon. Rock Wrecker OHKOes Pokemon like Togekiss, and Earthquake OHKOes Pokemon like Tapu Koko. Avalanche allows Rhyperior to beat Choice Specs Landorus and helps it against Landorus-T, while Counter defeats Air Balloon Metagross. EVs The HP and Special Defense EVs, in conjunction with Assault Vest, ensure that Rhyperior is not OHKOed by Choice Specs Magnezone's Flash Cannon and avoids being 2HKOed by Custap Berry variants. The Speed investment allows Rhyperior to outspeed Magnezone after one Bulldoze. 12 Defense EVs are enough for Rhyperior to survive an Earthquake from Choice Band Landorus-T. The remaining EVs have been invested in Attack for the best odds in the Life Orb Porygon-Z matchup. Usage Tips Against Magnezone, Rhyperior should always use Bulldoze on the first turn, as that allows it to outspeed any Magnezone variant afterward and secure the matchup. Rhyperior survives a Choice Specs Flash Cannon, ensuring it isn't KOed in return. Be aware that against Sylveon, it should use Bulldoze on the first turn followed by Rock Wrecker on the second turn, as using Rock Wrecker on the first turn doesn't secure the KO.

Set Description This Rhyperior set is designed to defeat Choice Band Galarian Darmanitan, which the Choice Band set struggles to handle. Thanks to Solid Rock and investment in HP and Defense, Rhyperior can survive an Icicle Crash from Choice Band Galarian Darmanitan and KO it in return with Rock Wrecker. Earthquake allows Rhyperior to defeat Pokemon like Zeraora, Tapu Koko, and non-Air Balloon Heatran. Avalanche lets it defeat Choice Band and Choice Scarf Landorus-T, while Rock Blast helps against Entei, Zapdos, and Counter Crustle. Alternatively, Metal Burst is useful against special attackers like Choice Scarf Tapu Fini, as Assault Vest allows Rhyperior to comfortably take a hit. Alternatively, Counter helps against Air Balloon Metagross. EVs 252 HP and 88 Defense EVs allow Rhyperior to survive any attack from Choice Band Galarian Darmanitan, while 92 Special Defense EVs enable it to survive an Earth Power from Choice Specs Landorus. The remainder is put into Attack to give Rhyperior's Rock Wrecker the best possible chance to OHKO Life Orb Nasty Plot Porygon-Z, which can otherwise set up and KO it with Hyper Beam. Rhyperior's Speed IVs are reduced to allow it to underspeed Aegislash and OHKO it in Blade forme. Usage Tips Use Rock Wrecker against Choice Band Galarian Darmanitan, as Rhyperior will OHKO it while surviving any hit. Against foes that attempt to circumvent Rhyperior's strengths like Air Balloon Metagross, it secures the win by using Counter, while Avalanche is the preferred option versus Garchomp and Landorus-T. Against Aggron use Avalanche on the first turn followed by Earthquake on the second to outplay a potential Metal Burst. Rhyperior can secure the win against Choice Scarf Cresselia by using Metal Burst on either Trick or any of its attacking moves. If it's not running Metal Burst, leading with Rock Blast gives it the best possible winning odds.

Tyranitarite Rhyperior is a great special tank and Stealth Rock setter that can defensively check common threats like Regieleki, Ho-Oh, Galarian Slowking, non-Grass Knot Magearna, and Zapdos. Thanks to Swords Dance, it can also threaten switch-ins like Slowbro and Manectite Mew. Rhyperior pairs well with Pokemon like Slowbro, as Rhyperior can safely switch into Zapdos and Regieleki, which Slowbro has a hard time against. Slowbro in return is able to switch into Milotic, Hippowdon, and Groudon and pivot out with Teleport, gaining momentum. Rhyperior is vulnerable to physical Fighting-, Grass-, and Steel-types such as Buzzwole, Kartana, and Solgaleo. Therefore, it pairs well with Manectite Mew and Zapdos, as well as Milotic and Magearna, which can pivot into these Pokemon and switch out with Volt Switch or Flip Turn. Rhyperior also appreciates offensive partners such as Altarianite Entei and Dragapult, which take advantage of Rhyperior wearing down bulky Water-types such as Milotic with its offensive pressure.

Speed investment outspeeds base 65 Pokemon such as Alomomola and Umbreon.

16 Attack EVs take the most advantage of an Adamant nature in defensive sets.

Speed investment outspeeds base 65 Pokemon such as Alomomola and Umbreon.

Moves Stealth Rock is essential on every competitive team, racking up chip damage on foes throughout a match. Earthquake provides Rhyperior with a powerful Ground-type STAB move. Stone Edge possesses solid coverage in combination with Earthquake, hitting Ground-immune Pokemon like Mega Aerodactyl, Moltres, and Togekiss incredibly hard. Alternatively, Rock Blast allows Rhyperior to better handle suicide leads like Froslass as well as preventing Substitute users from safely punishing it. Ice Punch provides Rhyperior with a way to keep up Stealth Rock against a popular entry hazard remover in Gligar, while also providing a sure-fire way to punish threats such as Celebi and Latias. Toxic lets Rhyperior cripple bulky foes such as Slowbro, Alomomola, and Hippowdon that otherwise do not mind its presence. Swords Dance can give Rhyperior the wallbreaking capabilities to deal with Pokemon like Gligar, Scizor, and Amoonguss. Set Details 252 HP EVs maximize Rhyperior's overall bulk. Naturally, Leftovers is the preferred item, as its passive recovery helps keep Rhyperior healthy throughout a match. 16 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature improve Rhyperior's offensive presence while still allowing it to invest most of its EVs into bulk. The remaining EVs are poured into Special Defense, letting Rhyperior check Pokemon like Mega Manectric, Togekiss, and Rotom-H more effectively. Solid Rock is Rhyperior's best ability, shoring up its lackluster defensive typing by reducing the damage from super effective hits. Usage Tips Switch Rhyperior into on Pokemon it is meant to check such as Mega Manectric and Moltres. Once on the field in a safe position, use Rhyperior to set up Stealth Rock or spread Toxic poison on the opposing team. If running Swords Dance, prioritize setting up Stealth Rock before attempting to wallbreak and beat Pokemon like Gligar one-on-one. With Rock Blast Rhyperior can have a strong matchup against offensive teams and should potenitally look to lead against suicude leads like Froslass to limit it to one turn of Spikes. Rock Blast also allows Rhyperior to beat common Substitute user like Gengar and Chandelure, while also preventing Mimikyu from safely using Rhyperior as a set up opportunity behind Disguise. While Rhyperior can stomach many super effective hits due to Solid Rock, gauge how important its health will be for the remainder of the game and play accordingly. Scout for possible 4x effective coverage moves such as Mega Aerodactyl's Aqua Tail and Nihilego's Grass Knot. Rhyperior is worn down over time by Spikes and Toxic Spikes; clear them with a teammate if given the opportunity. Team Options Dragon-types like Hydreigon, Latias, and Mega Altaria are fantastic partners, as they help cover Rhyperior's weaknesses to Water- and Grass-type moves. Celebi, Amoonguss, and Tsareena can threaten Rhyperior's most prominent answers in Water-types, while Rhyperior can check the Flying-types that threaten them. Scizor and Cobalion appreciate the presence of Rhyperior, as they are Steel-types incapable of handling opposing Flying-types. Sylveon makes for a great partner, as it can cure Rhyperior of any status with Heal Bell and help to keep it healthy through Wish. Entry hazard removers such as Empoleon, Tentacruel, and Starmie can remove Spikes and Toxic Spikes, which wear Rhyperior down over time. Rhyperior can absorb the Electric-type moves that threaten them in return.

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Moves Earthquake is Rhyperior's strongest STAB move, allowing it to beat potent physical attackers like Excadrill and Terrakion. Fire Punch is important coverage, letting Rhyperior beat Steel-types like Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn. Ice Punch is another important coverage move to beat Ground-types like Landorus-T and Gliscor as well as Dragon-types like Dragonite and Garchomp. Rock Slide is preferred over Stone Edge for its accuracy, allowing Rhyperior to beat Pokemon like Mega Aerodactyl and, provided Sticky Web is up, Araquanid more consistently. Roar is another option as a means of phazing setup sweepers that Rhyperior is unable to offensively threaten, such as Mega Gallade and Mew. Set Details Maximum investment in HP and Defense with an Impish nature makes Rhyperior as physically bulky as possible, avoiding 2HKOs from Choice Scarf Terrakion's Close Combat and Choice Scarf Landorus-T's Earthquake. Solid Rock lets Rhyperior take less damage from super effective moves, which is especially helpful against +1 Mega Lopunny's High Jump Kick and +2 Mega Scizor's Superpower. The Weakness Policy doubles Rhyperior's Attack when it's hit by a super effective move and gives it the power it needs to OHKO Pokemon like Mega Lopunny and Mega Sharpedo with Earthquake. Usage Tips For threats such as +2 Mega Scizor and Mega Lopunny, it's best to keep Rhyperior as healthy as possible so that it can survive a hit from these threats and remove them. However, if Rhyperior does get worn down, it can still avoid a 2HKO from Pokemon like Choice Scarf Terrakion, Landorus-T, and Stakataka, so it can still be used to blanket check them. Because of Rhyperior's terrible Special Defense, it's best to keep it away from special attackers such as Landorus and Latios. If the Rock team already has an offensive answer to Pokemon like Mega Lopunny and Excadrill such as Choice Scarf Terrakion, Rhyperior can still be useful for dealing with teammates of these Pokemon like Ditto and Dugtrio. Keep Rhyperior away from status conditions such as burn and poison, since burn will make it unable to OHKO various physical attackers and poison will quickly wear it down. Rhyperior's Weakness Policy boosts will go away the moment it switches out, so make sure to know when to keep it around for Pokemon like Mega Sharpedo and Mega Lopunny. Try forcing out Pokemon like Mega Scizor and Landorus-T to double switch into another offensive Pokemon like Terrakion or Mega Diancie to gain momentum and threaten their teammates. Team Options Mega Diancie can beat special wallbreakers like Keldeo and Hydreigon for Rhyperior and bounce back Toxic Spikes with Magic Bounce to keep Rhyperior healthy. Shuckle can switch into Grass-type attacks for Rhyperior thanks to its Grass neutrality. In return, Rhyperior can check Steel- and Rock-types like Excadrill and Terrakion that Shuckle can't do anything against. Terrakion appreciates Rhyperior's ability to check threatening physical attackers like Ditto and Mega Scizor so that it can sweep Normal and Steel, respectively. Tyranitar can break past physical walls like Slowbro and Mega Venusaur for Rhyperior and can beat special attackers like Latios and Greninja. Nihilego can beat Grass-types like Tapu Bulu and Celebi with its Poison-type STAB attacks as well as Water-types like Mega Swampert and Suicune with its coverage moves. It can also remove Toxic Spikes to keep Rhyperior healthy. Cradily can switch into Water-type attacks for Rhyperior and can beat bulky Ground-types like Hippowdon and Gastrodon. Omastar beats physical walls like Skarmory and Hippowdon after a Shell Smash and appreciates Rhyperior's ability to beat Excadrill and Dugtrio so that it can effectively sweep Ground teams.

Moves Rhyperior can set Stealth Rock up multiple times throughout the match thanks to its bulk. Rock Blast allows Rhyperior to beat Substitute users and Focus Sash Pokemon such as Froslass and is also a decent STAB move to hit the Pokemon Rhyperior walls such as Crobat and Mega Aerodactyl. Stone Edge, however, hits harder on average and has better consistency. Earthquake grants Rhyperior decent neutral coverage in UU. Roar allows Rhyperior to force out setup sweepers while also racking up entry hazard damage, although Dragon Tail can be used to phaze without worry of Taunt. Toxic can cripple switch-ins. Protect lets Rhyperior scout for possible coverage moves on Pokemon it otherwise walls, such as Aqua Tail on Mega Aerodactyl and Grass Knot on Infernape. Set Details The HP EVs allow Rhyperior to hit a Leftovers number, while the Attack EVs and an Adamant nature let it hit a jump point in its Attack stat. The rest is dumped into Special Defense because Rhyperior's high base Defense means investing in its physical bulk isn't as effective; also, the added special bulk allows it to survive some super effective hits that it isn't 4x weak to, such as Ice- and Ground-type attacks, thanks to Solid Rock. Solid Rock allows Rhyperior to tank a lot more hits and retaliate with its base 140 Attack. Leftovers gives Rhyperior a form of passive recovery, allowing it to continue being a threat throughout the match. Usage Tips This set can come in multiple times thanks to its nice bulk, then set up Stealth Rock easily. This set has to watch out for any stray Water- or Grass-type moves, as even a weak attack can severely cripple Rhyperior. Team Options This set appreciates Wish support from the likes of Sylveon and Florges. Both Fairies also provide cleric support, ridding Rhyperior of any status. This set also appreciates entry hazards removed from the likes of Forretress and Tentacruel, as Rhyperior can be worn down a lot quicker with entry hazards on its side of the field. Electric- and Grass-types such as Heliolisk and Celebi can threaten out the bulky Water-types that Rhyperior has a hard time facing due to its fear of Scald and burn.

Moves Stone Edge is a great STAB move, hitting common Pokemon such as Crobat and Mega Aerodactyl. Earthquake is another STAB move that complements Stone Edge, giving Rhyperior great neutral coverage. Megahorn hits Grass-types and Psychic-types such as Celebi and Cresselia harder than Rhyperior's STAB moves. The last move is filler: Aqua Tail hits bulky Ground-types such as Krookodile, Rock Blast is a great secondary STAB move that allows Rhyperior to break Focus Sashes and Sturdy, and Ice Punch does 80% minimum to maximum Defense Gligar. Set Details The Speed EVs allow Rhyperior to outspeed uninvested base 60 Speed Pokemon such as Empoleon while maximum Attack EVs allow Rhyperior to hit as hard as possible. The rest of the EVs are dumped into HP to give Rhyperior a bit of bulk. Choice Band amplifies Rhyperior's Attack to high levels. An Adamant nature boosts Rhyperior's already great Attack stat; Jolly serves no purpose, as Rhyperior is still going to be slower than most threats in UU and would much rather have the wallbreaking power an Adamant nature provides. Usage Tips This set punches massive holes in the opposing team, allowing teammates to come in and clean up very easily. This set must be brought in safely, as Rhyperior cannot tank as many hits because it is invested in offenses rather than defenses. Team Options This set appreciates entry hazard support. Pokemon such as Tentacruel can absorb Toxic Spikes, lay down their own Toxic Spikes, and spin away other entry hazards in Tentacruel's case. Tentacruel also has decent synergy with Rhyperior, as they can tank Water- and Grass-types moves aimed at Rhyperior while Rhyperior can tank Electric-type moves aimed at Tentacruel. This set appreciates setup sweepers such as Lucario and Infernape, as Rhyperior can wear down walls fairly easily while Lucario and Infernape can clean up late-game. Grass- and Electric-types such as Celebi and Heliolisk can threaten out the bulky Water-types that Rhyperior has a hard time facing due to its fear of Scald and burn.

Moves Earthquake is a reliable STAB attack that notably hits Steel-types for great damage. Stone Edge is another STAB attack, and it complements Earthquake by hitting Flying-types and most Pokemon that resist Ground. Fire Punch helps Rhyperior check Steel-types that are neutral to Earthquake, most notably Mega Scizor, which is one of the biggest threats for Rock Monotypes. Counter allows Rhyperior to surprise and KO a wide range of physical attackers, like Mega Medicham, Mega Gallade, and Garchomp. Ice Punch nails Ground-types that most other Rock-types struggle against, like Gliscor, Garchomp, and Zygarde. Set Details The EV spread capitalizes on Rhyperior's impressive physical bulk by maxing it out, allowing it to check physical attackers more effectively. The 8 Speed EVs allow Rhyperior to outspeed and hit Politoed after Sticky Web, which forces Politoed out with its own Eject Button and allows Rhyperior to avoid Politoed's Scald. Leftovers helps improve Rhyperior's longevity and is its sole source of recovery. If Leftovers is used, Counter should be used alongside it; this way, Rhyperior still has a way to KO Mega Medicham after taking a hit. However, since Counter is largely prediction-based and thus harder to use in some situations, Weakness Policy + Ice Punch is an alternative over Leftovers + Counter. Initially, Weakness Policy does seem strange on a set that is primarily defensive, but it is necessary to guarantee important KOs after taking a hit from certain Pokemon, like the aforementioned Mega Medicham as well as Mega Scizor. For example, Rhyperior cannot utilize an EV spread that allows it to take a High Jump Kick from Mega Medicham and also OHKO. By using a Weakness Policy, it can use an EV spread that allows it to take a hit while still securing an OHKO. This option also provides Rhyperior with Ice coverage, allowing it to handle Ground-types more easily. Solid Rock mitigates many of Rhyperior's weaknesses and works especially well alongside Weakness Policy. Usage Tips From Team Preview, it is important to determine Rhyperior's value in the match. If the opponent has a threatening sweeper such as Mega Scizor or Mega Medicham, keep Rhyperior healthy until it is needed to check it. It should only switch into attackers directly in dire situations; repeated chip damage hinders Rhyperior's effectiveness late-game. Rhyperior utilizes well-planned double switches and free switches well. If Rhyperior has limited use in a matchup, it can switch in more freely and does not need to carefully preserve its health. In this case, it could function more as a defensive pivot. Counter should be used carefully, since preserving its element of surprise can pay off in a few situations. Making smart predictions and knowing when to opt for a different move can pay off in the end. If using Weakness Policy, remember that it only activates once, so make sure that you preserve Rhyperior's health and Weakness Policy until it is needed to check more dangerous sweepers. Certain weaker physical attackers, like specially defensive Gliscor and Hippowdon, should be left for Rhyperior's teammates to handle, like Omastar and Cradily. Prevent Rhyperior from having to take special attacks, as it still has very poor Special Defense. Rhyperior also hates burns and Toxic poison, as they continually chip away at Rhyperior's health. Burns are particularly crippling, since they prevent Weakness Policy Rhyperior from beating what it is supposed to. The Counter set does have more leeway with this, but a burned Rhyperior is very easy to work around. Team Options Rhyperior tends to fit easily on most Rock Monotypes because most Rock teams struggle to break through Steel-types and need several countermeasures to physical attackers in general. Because Rhyperior checks several physical attackers in one slot, it affords its teammates the ability to focus on other tasks. This is the case for Mega Aggron; by using it alongside Rhyperior, it can more freely use a RestTalk Curse set, since it doesn't need to run coverage to hit Steel-types. In return, Mega Aggron checks Grass-types for Rhyperior like Breloom and Mega Venusaur. The other Mega Evolutions, like Mega Diancie and Mega Aerodactyl, also appreciate Rhyperior's presence. If you use Mega Diancie or Mega Aerodactyl over Mega Aggron, the team will likely be weaker to a wide range of physical attackers. Mega Diancie desperately needs a teammate to check Mega Medicham and Mega Scizor, and Rhyperior allows you to check these threats without using Mega Aggron. In a sense, Rhyperior helps free up the Mega slot because it essentially fills the same role as Mega Aggron, although admittedly not as effectively. Choice Band Terrakion is another great partner for Rhyperior; Rhyperior struggles against physical walls, like Clefable, Empoleon, and Porygon2, and Terrakion can break most of them for Rhyperior. It can also revenge kill faster threats that Rhyperior struggles with, like Life Orb Kyurem-B. Omastar is yet another offensive Pokemon that pairs nicely with Rhyperior because it can break through most physical walls, act as an amazing wincon against Ground Monotypes, and appreciate Rhyperior's ability to take on Electric-types and most priority users. Cradily is perhaps one of the most useful defensive partners for Rhyperior. Because of Storm Drain and its Grass typing, it can check most Water- and Grass-types that Rhyperior struggles against. In particular, Cradily can soft check Mega Gyarados, which can use Mold Breaker with Waterfall to simply ignore Rhyperior's Solid Rock or even set up. It also has a good matchup with Ground-types like Garchomp, Hippowdon, and Landorus-T, which allows Rhyperior to focus on checking other threats. Cradily appreciates having Rhyperior around to beat Steel-types, like Jirachi and Scizor. Tyranitar also forms a great defensive core with Rhyperior. With Sand Stream and an Assault Vest, Tyranitar acts like the special parallel of Rhyperior and serves as a great blanket check for several special attackers. If absolutely needed, Rhyperior can also utilize Tyranitar's sand itself and take considerably powerful attacks, such as Landorus's Earth Power.

Moves Rock Slide combines great spread damage with a high chance to make the foe flinch. Earthquake pairs well with Rock Slide due to its complementary coverage alongside it. Drill Run is an option either in place of or alongside Earthquake, as it deals more damage to a single target, isn't blocked by Wide Guard, and doesn't require Rhyperior's teammate to be immune to Ground or use Protect. Ice Punch deals heavy damage to common metagame threats such as Landorus-T and Mega Salamence. Hammer Arm OHKOes Mega Kangaskhan after Rhyperior's Weakness Policy has been activated and further lowers Rhyperior's Speed, making it faster under Trick Room. Protect shields Rhyperior against its foes' attacks for a turn, allowing a teammate to deal with threats to Rhyperior more safely. Set Details The given HP and Defense EVs allow Rhyperior to survive two Earthquakes from Adamant Landorus-T, and the given Special Defense EVs let it survive one Scald from 76 Special Attack Suicune not factoring in potential burn damage. A Brave nature with the remaining EVs invested into Attack increases Rhyperior's Attack stat as much as possible. 0 Speed IVs are used to make Rhyperior as quick as possible under Trick Room. Using an Adamant nature, 31 Speed IVs, and 4 Speed EVs is an option for semi-Trick Room teams to make Rhyperior outspeed minimum Speed Aegislash. Weakness Policy takes advantage of Solid Rock, which reduces the damage of super effective hits, by doubling Rhyperior's Attack when it gets hit by one, allowing it to sweep more easily. Life Orb is an alternative that grants more immediate damage and makes Rhyperior less reliant on its item activating. When using Life Orb, an EV spread of 68 HP / 252 Atk / 188 SpD should be used to minimize Life Orb recoil. Usage Tips Rhyperior's aim is to deal as much spread damage as possible with the combination of Rock Slide and Earthquake. Try to bring Rhyperior onto the field in the mid-game when Trick Room has already been set up and the opponent's lead Pokemon have already activated their potential Intimidate. Avoid taking excessive neutral damage, as Rhyperior will want to stay as healthy as possible to survive the super effective hits that activate Weakness Policy. Don't take chances when potential Wide Guard users are on the opponent's side of the field; either use Drill Run if running it or switch out to maintain the momentum that's important to take advantage of during Trick Room's limited turns. Finally, it's possible to bluff Lightning Rod by pairing Rhyperior with a partner weak to Electric to get the best of both abilities when the foes avoid using Electric-type attacks to prevent wasting turns. Team Options A Trick Room setter is mandatory to take advantage of Rhyperior's low Speed. Cresselia is a notable user, as its access to Levitate allows Rhyperior to use Earthquake freely alongside it. Fake Out users can help Rhyperior's teammate set up Trick Room as well. Scrafty is good option, as its access to Intimidate further capitalizes on Rhyperior's excellent physical bulk. Fire-types such as Mega Charizard Y and Heatran beat the Grass-types that Rhyperior struggles against, and in return, Rhyperior handles the Pokemon that threaten them, such as Landorus-T and, in Mega Charizard Y's case, Electric-types. Mega Charizard Y's Drought also weakens the Water-type attacks that Rhyperior is weak to. Grass-types such as Venusaur and Abomasnow beat Water-types directly with their super effective STAB moves, and Rhyperior can beat Talonflame for them in return. Electric-types, particularly Thundurus, can also beat Water-types. Thundurus can also use Taunt to shut down opposing Wide Guard users. Crobat is another fast Taunt user and can beat Grass-types for Rhyperior. Sylveon makes for a great pivot for Rhyperior, as it's able to take the special attacks aimed at it thanks to its high Special Defense and can threaten more physically defensive foes, while Rhyperior can take physical attacks aimed at Sylveon and beat more specially defensive foes in return.

Moves Earthquake is a reliable STAB attack that does tons of damage coming off of Rhyperior's amazing base 140 Attack. Rock Blast is a secondary STAB attack that has the ability to break Focus Sashes and Substitutes and hit through Sturdy; however, it is fairly weak if it doesn't get at least three hits. This lets Rhyperior beat low-health Substitute Pokemon such as Volcarona or the rare Substitute Talonflame. Stone Edge, on the other hand, is more reliable in terms of power; it has a consistent 100 Base Power, but it is only 80% accurate. Ice Punch hits Pokemon such as Mega Salamence, Garchomp, Gliscor, and Landorus-T, all of which take little damage from Rhyperior's STAB attacks. Ice Punch does enough damage to Gliscor that it won't have enough HP left to create a Substitute afterwards. Horn Drill OHKOes bulky Pokemon that Rhyperior has trouble with, such as Cresselia, at the cost of only being 30% accurate. Megahorn does a good chunk of damage to Cresselia without having to resort to Horn Drill; however, Rhyperior only has a 21.9% chance of 2HKOing her, and, in the process, has to take damage from Rocky Helmet. Fire Punch is an option to be considered, as it 2HKOes Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn. However, using it means Rhyperior has to give up either Ice Punch or Horn Drill, whose targets are Landorus-T and Cresselia, respectively, which are greater threats in Battle Spot Singles. Set Details Using an Assault Vest boosts Rhyperior's rather low Special Defense stat by 50%, giving it the ability to take special attacks, as Rhyperior can already take many physical attacks thanks to its monstrous base 130 Defense. In combination with Solid Rock, Rhyperior can survive a plethora of threatening attacks. Maximum Attack investment coupled with an Adamant nature enables Rhyperior hit as hard as possible. A Brave nature can be used instead of an Adamant nature, as it lets Rhyperior underspeed minimum Speed Aegislash, avoid giving Aegislash a Weakness Policy boost, and OHKO it with Earthquake. It also lets Rhyperior outspeed Trick Room-based Mega Mawile under Trick Room, OHKOing with Earthquake. Maximum Special Defense investment is used instead of maximum HP investment because Rhyperior can then survive threatening attacks such as +1 4 SpA Suicune's Scald, 252 SpA Modest Mega Salamence's Hydro Pump, 4 SpA Rotom-W's Hydro Pump, 252 SpA Modest Rotom-W's Hydro Pump in the sun, and 252 SpA Modest Mega Venusaur's Giga Drain. An alternate EV spread with maximum HP lets Rhyperior better handle physical attacks from the likes of Blaziken, Mega Salamence, etc. Usage Tips Use Rhyperior's fantastic mixed bulk to take hits from Pokemon such as Mega Salamence and Cresselia, and use its even better Attack stat to retaliate with strong super effective attacks. When in doubt, against bulky Pokemon that Rhyperior can take hits from but not hit hard back, use Horn Drill to have a chance to OHKO them on the spot. Rhyperior should be used to force out physical attackers such as Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Salamence, and Talonflame, threatening them with the appropriate coverage move. If Rhyperior is against Pokemon such as Suicune, Rotom-W, Mega Venusaur, and Breloom, switch out, as they threaten Rhyperior with powerful Water- or Grass-type attacks. Team Options Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur, Amoonguss, and Talonflame can switch into Grass-type attacks aimed at Rhyperior. Mega Venusaur and Amoonguss can also switch into Water-type attacks, while Talonflame can threaten opposing Grass-types with its STAB Brave Bird and can freely switch into Ground-type attacks. Zapdos provides excellent defensive synergy with Rhyperior, taking the Ground-, Steel-, and Grass-type moves aimed at Rhyperior, with Rhyperior taking the Rock-type moves aimed at Zapdos. Mega Charizard Y can beat the Steel-, Grass-, and Ice-type Pokemon that threaten Rhyperior. Its ability, Drought, sets up sun, which weakens Water-type attacks aimed at Rhyperior. Rhyperior can switch into Pokemon that threaten teammates such as Mega Charizard Y, Gyarados, Mega Salamence, Hydreigon, and Aegislash.

Set Description Rock Wrecker should be used against Porygon-Z and Haxorus. Earthquake is for non-Air Balloon Metagross, Tyranitar, and Choice Specs Raikou. Rock Blast is for Crustle, Volcarona, Aerodactyl, and Thundurus. Avalanche is for Landorus-T, while Fire Punch is for Ferrothorn. EVs The HP and Attack EVs guarantee Rhyperior to survive a Choice Specs- or Normal Gem-boosted Hyper Beam from Porygon-Z, with maximum HP for mixed bulk. The remaining EVs are invested in Attack. Usage Tips Choice Band Rhyperior should use Earthquake against Garchomp to avoid triggering Rough Skin from Yache Berry Garchomp, which would cause Rhyperior to be 2HKOed by Earthquake. Rhyperior should use Rock Blast against Substitute users like Zapdos, Raikou, Aerodactyl, and Volcarona. Otherwise, it is almost always best to use the move that does the most damage.

Set Description Endure + Custap Berry work together to give Rhyperior another chance to attack Choice Band Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Chandelure. Rock Wrecker should be used against Porygon-Z, Arcanine, and Gyarados. Earthquake should be used against Chandelure, non-Air Balloon Heatran, and Garchomp. Swords Dance is for Snorlax, Landorus-T, Chansey, and non-Choice item Cresselia. EVs The HP and Defense EVs let Rhyperior survive a Swords Dance-boosted Earthquake from Jolly Custap Berry Garchomp. The remaining EVs are invested in Attack. Usage Tips Custap Berry Rhyperior's strategy revolves around using Endure + Custap Berry to guarantee a hit against faster Pokemon, like Garchomp, Chandelure, and Porygon-Z. To play around Crustle's Sturdy + Counter, Rhyperior should use Earthquake before using Rock Wrecker to KO.

With this set, Rhyperior is a behemoth under Trick Room, destroying anything that doesn't resist its powerful STAB combination. With just its two STAB moves in Rock Slide and Earthquake, Rhyperior achieves near-perfect coverage, hitting a wide range of threats very hard. Although its accuracy is below average, Megahorn is useful in many situations, 2HKOing Bold 252 HP/ 252 Def Cresselia and OHKOing all Latios. Protect is a necessity in VGC for prediction and scouting, and Rhyperior is no exception. When considering Rhyperior's weaknesses to common attacking types, Protect's ability to shield it from all attacks for a turn and allow its partner to take out the threatening foe makes it all the more crucial. The EVs are pretty straightforward. They maximize bulk while preserving offensive prowess. A Brave nature and 0 Speed IVs are needed to "outslow" as many other Pokemon in battle as possible. Lastly, Lightning Rod is a great ability in doubles. It lures away Electric-type attacks from Pokemon that have trouble with the likes of Thundurus and Zapdos. If this doesn't interest you, Solid Rock can be used to take less damage from super effective attacks. Even with 252 HP EVs, Rhyperior still has trouble surviving certain attacks. Type-resist berries can fix that dilemma. Chople Berry helps Rhyperior survive STAB Close Combats from Fighting-types such as Hitmontop and Infernape, Babiri Berry helps Rhyperior survive Metagross's Iron Head or Meteor Mash, while Shuca Berry allows Rhyperior to avoid a 2HKO from almost any Earthquake. Some damage calculations below show how much type-resist berries aid Rhyperior in battle: 252 Atk Adamant Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 252 HP Brave Rhyperior with a Babiri Berry: 35.1% - 41.9% Fighting Gem 252 Atk Adamant Hitmontop Close Combat vs. 252 HP Brave Rhyperior with a Chople Berry: 49.1% - 58.1% 252 Atk Jolly Garchomp Earthquake vs. 252 HP Brave Rhyperior with a Shuca Berry: 23%-27.5% Obviously, in order for Rhyperior to pose a major threat with this set, Trick Room support is needed. Pokemon that can fit this role include Dusclops, Reuniclus, Musharna, and Cresselia. Cresselia receives a special mention for this role; it is immune to Earthquake and can destroy troublesome Fighting-types with Psychic. Dual Screen support can also be used to increase Rhyperior's longevity in battle. Rain teams can destroy Rhyperior with no problem, making Abomasnow a fantastic teammate; it can change the weather, and also destroy Grass- and Water-types with a STAB Grass Knot and Blizzard. Pokemon that take very little to no damage at all from Rhyperior's Earthquakes make great partners. Gyarados is particularly effective because of its fantastic ability, Intimidate, which allows Rhyperior to tank physical hits even better. In return, Rhyperior can lure away Electric-type attacks with Lightning Rod.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This set is Rhyperior's most defensive set and focuses on wearing the opponent down and checking prominent threats. With a monstrous HP stat of 432 and Special Defense stat of 312 (with sandstorm active), Rhyperior will be an absolute pain to take down. The EVs are fairly simple: HP is almost maxed until the last obtainable Leftovers number, and then 16 EVs are put into Attack to get the stat jump. The rest of the EVs are dumped into Special Defense to take special hits better. Rhyperior will be able to take quite a beating from special attacks with these EVs and sandstorm. Earthquake and Stone Edge (or Rock Blast, which can be used to hit Substitute users) give Rhyperior excellent coverage. Megahorn hits everything else that Rock and Ground don't hit, such as Claydol. Even with just 16 Attack EVs, Rhyperior will still hit hard with its 352 Attack stat. The move that works best for your team should be used in the last slot. Rhyperior is a great Stealth Rock user since it forces switches. This also makes it a great entry hazard abuser with Roar, meaning your opponent will take two rounds of residual damage if they switch. If you aren't using (Toxic) Spikes, and if you don't need a Pokemon to set up Stealth Rock, then Rest is a solid choice. Rest allows Rhyperior to heal and rid itself of any status ailments. This set really only functions with sandstorm support, which means Hippopotas is a necessary evil. With Roar, Rhyperior really benefits from Pokemon who can set up Spikes reliably. Cloyster is an excellent choice for this job since it resists Water-type attacks aimed at Rhyperior. Qwilfish is also an exceptional teammate for Rhyperior since it can set up Spikes and resists Water- and Fighting-type attacks. As a bonus, it also only takes neutral damage from Grass-type attacks. Rhyperior also benefits from Toxic Spikes, which both of the listed Pokemon can provide as well.

This set focuses on abusing Rhyperior's horrible Speed, monstrous Attack, and excellent coverage under the effects of Trick Room. After Trick Room is used, Rhyperior will usually be the "fastest" Pokemon on the field, meaning the opponent needs to survive a 100 Base Power STAB attack before counter-attacking. Additionally, since Rhyperior is so bulky, it can set up Swords Dance and boast an Attack stat of 832, OHKOing the entire metagame. With horrible Speed and an immensely high Attack stat, it is no surprise that Rhyperior is one of the deadliest Trick Room sweepers. The fact that it has perfect coverage from Earthquake, Stone Edge, and Megahorn add to Rhyperior's sweeping capabilities. Swords Dance is a good move to use in the fourth slot since Rhyperior is likely to be bulky enough to pull one off and still have three turns to sweep. After a Swords Dance, Rhyperior will pretty much OHKO the entire tier, and it's no surprise since it will have 832 Attack under its belt. Aqua Tail can be used if you don't like losing a turn of Trick Room to set up Swords Dance, since it hits Donphan and other Rhyperior harder than your other attacks. 248 HP EVs ensures that Rhyperior can get an extra attack out of Life Orb while also giving it significant bulk. Attack is maximized to increase Rhyperior's sweeping potential, and the remaining eight EVs are dumped in Defense. A Brave nature is recommended since with a lower Speed, Rhyperior will be "faster" in Trick Room. A couple reliable Trick Room set-up Pokemon are needed for this set to function. Pokemon such as Porygon2 and Slowking make great teammates for Rhyperior because of their ability to reliably set up Trick Room. Alakazam is also quite an effective teammate since it can set up Reflect and Light Screen before it uses Trick Room. It can even set up Gravity if you wish. Reflect and Light Screen are important because they allow Rhyperior to almost guarantee itself a Swords Dance, meaning it has up to four turns of straight OHKOing the opponent.

This set aims to break down Rhyperior's usual counters with its Choice Band boosted attacks. Rhyperior can switch into many different attacks because of its impressive bulk, and it can OHKO many common walls such as Omastar and Steelix. On top of this, Rhyperior has immunity to Thunder Wave and shrugs off Pokemon like Registeel's attacks, unlike Aggron, for example, who is easily 2HKOed by Registeel's Earthquake. Unlike the other sets, this set uses Stone Edge as its main attack. This is because being locked into Earthquake usually ends up in a bad situation, considering there are so many Pokemon who are immune to it. Stone Edge has no immunities, and even Pokemon who resist it take quite a bit of damage from it. Aqua Tail and Rock Blast can be used in the last slot as situational moves. Donphan and other Rhyperior are hit by Aqua Tail harder than STAB Earthquake. Rock Blast is a great move for countering Substitute abusing Pokemon. This set's EV spread is specifically made to outpace minimum Speed versions of Weezing and Clefable. Attack is then maximized and the remaining EVs are dumped into HP. The option of Aqua Tail over Rock Blast is simply personal preference. Rock Blast allows you to absolutely destroy SubRoost variants of Moltres and Articuno, as well as nailing Pokemon such as Substitute Mismagius. Aqua Tail will hit Donphan harder than Earthquake (although Earthquake 2HKOes anyway) and will also do major damage to other Rhyperior. While you may be tempted to fire off Earthquakes at every given chance, that is not the best plan when using Rhyperior. Rhyperior's main attack on this set is Stone Edge, especially for early in the game before you know your opponent's team. The reasoning behind this is that no Pokemon is immune to Rock-type attacks, and when you are in a metagame with Pokemon such as Nasty Plot Mismagius, Moltres, Swellow, and Scyther, you definitely don't want to be forced to switch out against them. This especially applies for Scyther and Swellow since Rhyperior is likely your team's only Flying-type resistance. Once you've taken out the Pokemon who can set up on Ground-type attacks, you are free to use Earthquake, which is always bad news for your opponent. This isn't to say that you should never use Earthquake before your opponent's Pokemon are fainted because hitting Pokemon who wall Stone Edge on the switch with a STAB Earthquake can turn the tide of the match as it will usually OHKO that Pokemon. Stone Edge is simply meant to be used as your main attack. This Rhyperior set is an excellent early-game hard-hitter since very few Pokemon can stand up to its onslaught of powerful physical attacks. The fact that only a few Pokemon can take a STAB attack from Rhyperior makes it an excellent lure for bulky Pokemon. Rhyperior can also usually OHKO these Pokemon with its other STAB move. For example, Steelix can switch in and shrug off Rhyperior's Stone Edge. However, if it switches into Earthquake, it will be easily OHKOed. This helps Pokemon such as Swellow and Scyther, because without Steelix in their way, they should have a much easier time sweeping. Rhyperior also greatly benefits from Gravity and paralysis support. With Gravity and paralysis support, Rhyperior can plow through most teams with its powerful STAB Earthquake, since no Pokemon are immune to it. Paralysis support in particular helps Rhyperior sweep late game, since otherwise it will likely be forced out by something faster. Pokemon like Clefable and Porygon2 work quite well with Rhyperior because they have access to both Gravity and Thunder Wave. Rhyperior will also definitely need some defensive support since it is a Choiced Pokemon, meaning it will likely KO something and then be forced out. The two most obvious attack-types that will be used on Rhyperior are Water and Grass. This makes any sort of Grass-type Pokemon an excellent teammate for Rhyperior, especially since as a bonus, they can take Ground-type attacks aimed at Rhyperior as well.

Rhyperior is often unable to pull off sweeps because of its horrible Speed; however, Rock Polish attempts to fix that problem. With a Jolly nature, Rhyperior will outrun all unboosted Pokemon in UU minus Electrode. Boasting an Attack stat of 379 (not including Life Orb), Rhyperior will still hit incredibly hard. The premise of this set is to use Rhyperior's incredibly hard-hitting attacks to weaken its counters and then sweep late game with a Rock Polish boost. The biggest difference between the previous set and this set (besides Rock Polish) is that it uses Life Orb. With a Life Orb boost, Earthquake 2HKOes bulky Pokemon such as Blastoise and Milotic as long as Stealth Rock is in play. Megahorn now comes close to OHKOing Claydol, while also 2HKOing Tangrowth and Slowbro. An alternative item (and strategy) for this Rhyperior set is to use a Passho Berry. Passho Berry allows Rhyperior to take an extra Water-type attack from Pokemon such as Blastoise or Milotic. This means that you don't have to rely on weakening them as much. Passho Berry also protects you from Aqua Jet, which is used by Azumarill, Kabutops, and Feraligatr. However, without a Life Orb, Rhyperior isn't going to have as much of an easy time sweeping, and it also loses important KOs on Milotic, Blastoise, Claydol, and Slowbro. This Rhyperior set benefits from Stealth Rock and Spikes support more than most of the other sets would, since it's pulling off a late game sweep. Cloyster is a good candidate to set up Spikes, since it can set up on the bulky Water-types who will come in on Rhyperior. Qwilfish is also a good candidate since it possesses neutrality to Grass-type attacks in addition to its Water-type resistance. Rhyperior also appreciates Reflect and Light Screen support since these barriers allow it to set up quite easily while also being able to brush off most priority attacks. Besides screens, Stealth Rock, and Spikes, Rhyperior really appreciates the removal of certain Choice Scarf and priority users, since they will easily outpace Rhyperior even after a Rock Polish boost. Venusaur is a major threat to Rhyperior since it threatens to OHKO with its STAB Leaf Storm. Having a Pokemon such as Moltres who can easily dispose of these Choice Scarf users is very beneficial for Rhyperior. There are also many Pokemon who carry priority moves that halt Rhyperior's sweep. Vacuum Wave and Aqua Jet in particular cause problems for Rhyperior since they are both super effective, and Vacuum Wave hits Rhyperior's much weaker Special Defense stat, while Rhyperior has a 4x weakness to Aqua Jet. Vacuum Wave is usually only seen on Pokemon such as Toxicroak and Blaziken, and Dugtrio is a perfect candidate to take them out. Aqua Jet is a little tougher, but Moltres is a great candidate again to lure out these Water-types and hit them hard with Hidden Power. Magmortar and Blaziken can also work, hitting the Aqua Jet users hard with Thunderbolt and Superpower respectively.

This set capitalizes on Rhyperior's ability to create 101 HP Substitutes, turning Rhyperior into an effective stallbreaking tank. The idea when using SubPerior is to switch into a Pokemon that poses little threat, such as Chansey, Registeel, or Swellow, create a Substitute as it switches out, and proceed to nail the switch-in with the appropriate coverage move. Stone Edge and Earthquake are Rhyperior's strongest STAB moves and create the EdgeQuake combination, which is resisted only by Torterra and Claydol in UU. Megahorn rounds off the set, nailing the aforementioned Pokemon for super effective damage, as well as piercing through Uxie and Exeggutor. SubPerior's main goals are to force switches, get free hits on Pokemon when behind a Substitute, and punch holes through the opposing team to open a sweep for a partner. The beauty of using SubPerior over Rhyperior's other sets is that Substitute blocks Will-O-Wisp from pesky opponents such as Spiritomb and Weezing, and it protects Rhyperior from mispredictions should you incorrectly guess the opposing Pokemon's set. The EV spread is designed to allow Rhyperior to create 101 HP Substitutes and to outrun minimum Speed Weezing and Clefable, with the rest of the EVs dumped into Attack. While an alternative offensive spread of 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe can be used to put more pressure on the opponent, using such a spread takes away Rhyperior's ability to create 101 HP Substitutes and freely set up on Seismic Toss Chansey and Clefable. Leftovers is the recommended item to regain the health lost from creating Substitutes. Life Orb can be used, though Rhyperior's HP will be quickly drained from the combination of Substitute, Life Orb, and potential entry hazard damage. Ice Punch or Avalanche can be used over Megahorn for a reliable way to smack Grass-types for super effective damage; however, the lost damage output on Uxie and Mesprit is highly disappointing. Milotic is a hard stop to this set, as Rhyperior lacks the power to 2HKO it with Earthquake. Venusaur and offensive Lanturn therefore make great partners due to their ability to plow right through Milotic. Venusaur also has the added benefit of absorbing Toxic Spikes and Toxic, which completely ruin this set's effectiveness, as well as resisting any Grass- and Fighting-type attacks aimed at Rhyperior. In return, Rhyperior walks all over Chansey, Clefable, and Registeel, and should Rhyperior safely set up a Substitute, it can eliminate Altaria and Moltres with ease. This set absolutely loves paralysis support, as it allows Rhyperior to create Substitutes against faster foes, such as Ambipom, Kangaskhan, and Scyther, and possibly proceed to sweep the opponent's team. Rhyperior has an easy time OHKOing paralyzed Venusaur, Moltres, Sceptile, and Omastar, all of whom normally outpace it, with the appropriate attacking move. Awesome teammates to provide paralysis include Slowbro, Slowking, Registeel, and Uxie. Registeel and Uxie can also provide Stealth Rock support, while Slowbro and Slowking can utilize Trick Room to aid Rhyperior against faster, non-paralyzed foes. Finally, Rhyperior enjoys Wish and cleric support to keep it healthy and free of status. Teammates that can provide said support are Clefable, Leafeon, and Vileplume.

Rhyperior is one of the most fearsome Pokemon in UU with its monstrous Attack stat. This makes it quite easy for Rhyperior to force switches, giving it time to set up Stealth Rock or Substitute. Once Stealth Rock is in play, Rhyperior makes a great check to almost every physical attacker, as long as they don't have a strong super effective STAB attack. Earthquake and Stone Edge provide Rhyperior with nearly perfect coverage. Add Megahorn to that, and there isn't much that can safely switch into Rhyperior. Rock Blast can be used over Stone Edge to deal with pesky Substitute users such as Moltres, Articuno, and Mismagius. The EVs are very particular since Rhyperior needs to function in a lot of situations. The 84 Speed EVs give Rhyperior the ability to outpace no Speed base 50s, such as Azumarill and Donphan. The 140 HP EVs gives Rhyperior an HP stat of 406, which allows it to create five 101 HP Substitutes from full health. Attack is maximized, and the remaining EVs are put in Defense to make the most of Rhyperior's Solid Rock ability. If using Substitute, Rhyperior can use 164 Speed EVs so that it outpaces minimum Speed Weezing, allowing it to Substitute before Weezing can use Will-O-Wisp. This results in a final spread of 140 HP / 204 Atk / 164 Spe. This set is great at beating Rapid Spin users who try to come in and Spin away Rhyperior's Stealth Rock. Donphan and Hitmontop are 2HKOed by Earthquake with Spikes support, Cloyster is taken care of by Stone Edge, and Claydol is hit hard by Megahorn. This means Pokemon such as Qwilfish and Cloyster who set up Spikes appreciate Rhyperior's presence on a team. They work especially well since with Spikes support, Rhyperior can 2HKO Blastoise, who is another common Rapid Spinner. Cloyster and Qwilfish can also set up on bulky Water-types such as Milotic who threaten Rhyperior. Rhyperior is also a stellar physical wall, especially when against Pokemon without a super effective STAB attack. Using a specially defensive Altaria with Rhyperior works as an effective walling duo, since Altaria resists Water-, Fighting-, Ground-, and Grass-type attacks that would normally destroy Rhyperior, while Rhyperior can take Rock-type attacks and any hard-hitting physical attacker. Ice-type is left uncovered, so using something like Azumarill is beneficial as well.

Set Details Rhyperior is the premier Trick Room attacker, as its combination of Rock- and Ground-type spread attacks is unresisted by nearly the entire format. While Rhyperior's defensive profile is not great, it can safely switch into Thunderbolt from Zapdos and Heat Wave from Heatran and Infernape. One of Rhyperior's best defensive traits is its resistance to Explosion and Self-Destruct, adding to its high natural physical bulk. Life Orb-boosted Earthquake can reliably 2HKO common Pokemon such as Garchomp and Snorlax. Rock Slide and Megahorn or Fire Punch target foes that resist or are immune to Ground-type attacks. Megahorn hits popular Psychic-types such as Cresselia and Latios for super effective damage. Fire Punch hits Bronzong and Scizor super effectively, which would otherwise wall Rhyperior. Substitute is uniquely great at capitalizing on foes using Protect to stall out Trick Room turns. While not as common, Stone Edge can OHKO bulky Zapdos. Ice Punch may also be used for Dragon-types such as Latios and Garchomp. Like Substitute, Swords Dance capitalizes on defensive plays from the opponent, allowing Rhyperior to boost its damage output even further. Solid Rock helps Rhyperior stay on the field despite its weakness-ridden typing. Solid Rock enables Rhyperior to comfortably survive super effective attacks such as Metagross's Meteor Mash, Infernape's Close Combat, Garchomp's Earthquake, Zapdos's Hidden Power Ice, and Heatran's Earth Power. Rhyperior's excellent natural physical bulk allows it to easily survive and retaliate against common physical attackers such as Garchomp, Snorlax, and Metagross. As a result, the remaining EVs are invested in Rhyperior's weaker Special Defense. Life Orb improves Rhyperior's sweeping potential under Trick Room, 2HKOing bulky Pokemon like Snorlax, Garchomp, and opposing Rhyperior. Lum Berry can be paired with a Swagger user such as Bronzong for even more damage. Lum Berry can also be instrumental in stopping annoying status moves such as Will-O-Wisp from Gengar and Dark Void from Smeargle from making progress against Rhyperior. Teambuilding Bronzong and Cresselia are the format's two most reliable Trick Room setters and are Rhyperior's most common partners. Both have Levitate, so once Trick Room is set up, they can continue to support Rhyperior while avoiding any collateral damage from Earthquake. For Cresselia, Helping Hand and Swagger are some of the best support options for Rhyperior. However, Bronzong is much riskier and more proactive, as it can threaten sleep with Hypnosis as well as massive damage with Explosion. Bronzong is also naturally slower than Rhyperior; this helps as Bronzong can use Swagger on Rhyperior before it attacks when Trick Room is active. Ground-immune Pokemon such as Cresselia, Latios, and Zapdos can be annoying for Rhyperior as they prevent Earthquake spam. This greatly limits Rhyperior's damage output while Trick Room is active. Cresselia in particular can be tough, as it can reverse Trick Room and Ice Beam threatens big damage. Heatran is a natural defensive partner for Rhyperior, as its Steel typing helps against Cresslia's Ice Beam and Latios's Draco Meteor while it also has Heat Wave for consistent pressure. Water- and Grass-types such as Suicune, Gyarados, Ludicolo, and Abomasnow threaten to OHKO Rhyperior. As a result, Zapdos acts as a common pairing for Rhyperior to handle said Water-type Pokemon with the combination of Thunderbolt and Hidden Power Grass. Zapdos can also threaten Abomasnow with Heat Wave. While Rhyperior can muscle past some of its checks while under Trick Room such as Metagross and Garchomp with Earthquake, without Trick Room, Rhyperior can be vulnerable to these Pokemon as well. This is why many teams employ naturally fast sweepers, such as Latios, or Thunder Wave speed control to ensure they hit first against such Pokemon even after Trick Room has ended.

Rhyperior's sky-high Attack and excellent STAB coverage makes it a behemoth that hits nearly all of the tier for at least neutral damage, solidifying it as one of the tier's most powerful attackers. Its preference to use Earthquake synergizes nicely with Levitate Trick Room setters, such as Cresselia and Bronzong, and its immense physical bulk paired with Solid Rock also allows it to function outside of Trick Room as a bulky attacker. Rhyperior benefits greatly from speed control, as it wreaks havoc under Trick Room; outside of it, it becomes vulnerable because of its pitiful Special Defense and many common weaknesses. The likes of Choice Specs Latias can effortlessly eliminate it with Draco Meteor, while Zapdos 2HKOes it with Hidden Power Grass. Earthquake is a devastating STAB attack, which threatens Steel-types such as Metagross and Heatran. Though Sitrus Berry threatens to 2HKO Tyranitar and Heatran without fear of retaliation, Life Orb Rhyperior OHKOes bulkless Tyranitar, Raikou, and Shuca Berry Heatran after Stealth Rock. Rock Slide hits nearly all Ground-resistant and immune foes for neutral damage, with Life Orb Rhyperior 2HKOing common Earthquake switch-ins such as Latias, Rotom-H, and Gyarados. Stone Edge is a nuke option that, especially with damage boosting items and Helping Hand support, effortlessly picks up KOs on nearly all neutral targets. Life Orb Rhyperior OHKOes Latias after Stealth Rock, OHKOes uninvested Rotom-H after Stealth Rock, and even 2HKOes bulky foes like Mew. Many foes will use Protect against Rhyperior's pressure, hoping to stall out Trick Room turns. Rhyperior can maximize the value of these turns it can't damage foes by using Swords Dance, putting them under extreme stress the next turn, as practically nothing can comfortably switch into a +2 Earthquake or Rock Slide. This can be a game-winning maneuver, so opponents must be careful not to give Rhyperior these opportunities. Rhyperior can also opt for Ice Punch, especially when using Life Orb, as it OHKOes Latias after minimal chip. Protect is necessary for Rhyperior to defend itself from the numerous super effective and special attacks that could harm it such as from Latias's Draco Meteor, Swampert's Hydro Pump, and Machamp's Dynamic Punch. While Rhyperior uses Protect, its teammates can set up Trick Room or eliminate an opposing threat so Rhyperior can continue to attack. As Solid Rock Rhyperior survives many attacks on a small margin, such as Heracross's Close Combat, Metagross's Meteor Mash, and Machamp's Dynamic Punch, it often prefers the extra survivability from Sitrus Berry. Life Orb is preferred if Rhyperior intends to deal as much damage as possible as quickly as it can, especially in full Trick Room teams, as it hits numerous offensive benchmarks that Stirus Berry misses out on such as OHKOing bulkless Tyranitar. Stone Plate is effective for boosting damage output without chipping away at Rhyperior's survivability, notably OHKOing Gyarados with Stone Edge at -1. Alternatively, Earth Plate boosts Earthquake so it can OHKO bulkless Tyranitar after Stealth Rock, though boosting damage on its Rock-type attacks is often more important. Solid Rock is key to Rhyperior's immense bulk, as this ability allows it to live hits from Choice Band Machamp and Metagross that it wouldn't with Lightning Rod. However, Lightning Rod still has conditional value to redirect the common Thunder Wave and next to the commonly paired Gyarados, which is another partner freely enabling the use of Earthquake. On full Trick Room teams, Rhyperior runs 0 Speed IVs with a Brave nature to minimize its Speed, but on less committed Trick Room teams, Rhyperior should run Adamant with 31 Speed IVs to ensure it outspeeds paralyzed Choice Scarf Latias. Rhyperior greatly benefits from Trick Room, and the best partners for that are Levitate users Cresselia and Bronzong, which Rhyperior can freely use Earthquake with. Cresselia is especially potent, because it elevates Rhyperior's damage output to dizzying heights with Helping Hand, helping Life Orb Rhyperior secure KOs on Mew and Metagross with Stone Edge and Earthquake, respectively. Rhyperior requires teammates that can eliminate common special attackers that threaten massive damage on it; Choice Specs Rotom-H is a great partner, as it has Levitate, a low enough Speed tier for Trick Room teams, and the power to OHKO Latias, Mew, and Bronzong. Gyarados is a fantastic partner, as its Intimidate weakens common Fighting-type attackers such as Machamp, Heracross, and Hitmontop while being immune to Earthquake. It also checks Swampert, which has the physical bulk and coverage to pose a major threat to Rhyperior.